


Falling

by KitsuKitty



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Suicidal Thoughts, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21963358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitsuKitty/pseuds/KitsuKitty
Summary: The NYPD found a body washed up on shore and Malcolm is trying to get into the mind of the victim this time, trying to figure out if it was Murder or Suicide. Only he's had a little too much to drink and is on the wrong side of the railing on a nearby bridge. And as we all know, when Malcolm Bright is involved accidents are bound to happen.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 13
Kudos: 66





	1. The Fall

He stood at the edge of the bridge, looking down at the water that reflected the same blue as his eyes. Could he do it? Could he jump? The wind blew his suit jacket here and there, making a whipping noise that was easily drowned out by the sound of cars zooming by. 

_Nobody cared, nobody even noticed._

He leaned forward, finger tips barely grasping the railing behind him. It was intended to be safety precautions, intended to stop people from jumping. Recently the NYPD found a body washed on shore. Edrisa’s autopsy stated he didn’t have water in his lungs, at least not enough that it was the cause of death. He had not drowned, hadn’t suffered. The impact was enough to end it, there was no other signs of trauma to imply he’d been killed before and dumped into the water. 

The VIC had jumped, he hadn’t suffered other than that initial impact. There was alcohol in his system, just like Malcolm Bright currently had running through his own. Alcohol to lower inhibitions. Had he slipped, or had he jumped though? Was his intent to die or was there something else, something Bright was missing? Was this a murder or a suicide? Why had nobody reported the vic missing? He had loved ones, coworkers, family, friends. Nobody had noticed he’d been gone for over 24 hours, or at least that’s how long Edrisa suspected the body had been floating before some lady walking her dog had found the body. With that much bloating from the water it was hard to tell. 

Gil wanted the case closed. It wasn’t murder, it was suicide. Why had he jumped though? Why had nobody noticed he was missing? Would anyone notice Bright was missing? As if someone read his mind, suddenly his pocket started vibrating from someone calling. Fingers slipping away from the railing, Malcolm turned from the water with the phone in hand and didn’t even bother looking at the name on the screen. 

“ **What is it, mother**?” She had been calling non-stop since he hung up on her and neglected to show up to the dinner she asked him and Ainsley to come to. 

“ _Whoa Bright_ …” Ok most definitely not the sound of his mother’s voice. Moving the phone away from his ear, Malcolm looked down to see it was actually Dani who was calling. A tired smile spread across his lips as he put the phone to his ear just as he heard the tail end of whatever she was talking about. 

Wind. She could hear the wind. She asked where he was. 

“ **I uh…I’m driving with the windows down…sorry what’s up**?” It was a lie and Dani was able to sniff out a lie a mile away. There was a pause before Dani explained that they found bruising on the VIC’s legs. Edrisa thought it might have been from tape but they weren’t sure. 

“ **So he didn’t jump**?” Malcolm’s heart clung to those words, waiting desperately to hear the response. Instead of answering the question though, Dani asked where he was again. Moving to face back towards the water, Malcolm leaned back against the railing. As he did, however, there was a loud honking noise from a car which caused him to jump with a gasp. 

Stepping away from the offending noise instinctively, Malcolm almost lost his footing. Luckily instead of falling towards the water, he fell towards the railing with a gasp of fear followed by laughter. The alcohol was doing more than lowering his inhibitions. On the other side of the phone Dani asked once again where he was. Gil was likely with her and Malcolm didn’t want either of them to worry about him. 

“ **I’m just getting some air, building the profile**.” He smiled into the phone, because even though Dani couldn’t see it, it was easier to pretend you are ok if you made the motions. 

“ _Bright I’m going to come pick you up. Let me know where you are and we can go visit the family._ ” Oh how Malcolm loved meeting families, especially when it came to the childhood homes. He could see where someone was born, where they were raised, where they were made. 

There was another loud honking noise then someone yelled out. Looking behind him towards the cars, Malcolm saw headlights pointed in direction. Someone had noticed, was yelling at him. But then, whether something had triggered it or whether he was just exhausted and delusional, he saw her again. The girl in the box. She came for him, blocking out the lights coming from the car. Terrified, Malcolm instinctively moved away from the ghoulish figure. 

_That was a mistake._

He lost his balance completely. Grasping for the railing, Malcolm dropped the phone and saw as the bridge became further and further away before a flash of pain and water knocked him out of his senses.


	2. The Panic

“ **Bright? BRIGHT??!** ” She knew something was wrong as soon as he answered the phone. It’s not that he didn’t ‘go out’, in fact she really didn’t know what he did in his free time when he wasn’t antagonizing Gil, JT and herself. Did he even have free time away from them and his family? Either way, something sounded off. She could hear so much wind, too much for him to be in the city. Cars were driving by in the background and he seemed unsteady. 

Dani heard the honking in the background, someone saying not to jump. By this point Bright was on speaker phone and Gil and Dani were already rushing out of the room, JT on their heels. Dani could hear Bright let out a frightened scream and then the sound of rushing water before the line died. 

“ _He’s gotta be at the same bridge. Bright said he was building the profile!_ ” Gil was thinking quick and Dani could barely feel her feet hitting the pavement as they got outside. How she was able to move, able to breathe, able to function at this point was beyond her. It was like she was numb and hyper aware all at once. Suddenly she was buckled into the passenger seat as Gil drove and JT was calling in backup. They headed to the same bridge their vic was found near but they sent ambulances to others just in case. Soon after they got a call over the radio that someone called 911 at the very bridge they were headed towards. 

Every second felt like it dragged on for hours. Traffic was backed up and Dani contemplated getting out of the car and running the rest of the way. Apparently there was also an accident up ahead. Just their luck. Flicking the emergency lights on, Dani reached over to the steering wheel and slammed on the horn. She could barely hear it, as if the sound of water was in her ears, louder than the sounds around her. Not louder than the sound she heard through the speaker earlier, over and over again in her mind. 

Fear. Panic. He had fallen. Or had he jumped? Dani’s insides twisted and she had to roll down the window to keep back the bile that threatened to come up at the thought that Bright had jumped.

“ _It’s going to be okay_.” How many times had Gil said that inside his head before being able to say it out loud? Dani’s eyes were wild with fear, with pain. She wanted to ask if that was true, to ask what if he wasn’t right. But all she could do was nod, tears building in her eyes. She wouldn’t cry, just like Gil wouldn’t. Dani knew how much Gil loved Bright, he was like a son, all Gil had left after his wife passed. Dani hadn’t known Bright long but there was something about him that made her smile when she didn’t want to smile, despite how frustrating he could be. 

“ **Yeah** ” That’s all she could say before she felt her throat close up. It’s going to be ok. She had to say that, to not imagine Bright jumping from the bridge. The traffic finally parted for them but it wasn’t fast enough. She almost didn’t hear the radio, didn’t hear it until JT made a sound from the back. He was talking to someone. Suddenly her senses returned as Dani turned to look towards JT. 

“ _They found him…_ ”

Listening to the radio Dani felt useless, like she was so close and yet so far. They were a couple blocks away and she couldn’t listen to the radio anymore. Throwing the car door open, Dani started running as fast as she could. She took shortcuts, not caring about private property or fences. She didn’t care when a fence ripped her jacket, didn’t care that her lungs burned as she ran faster than she’d ever run before. She just couldn’t sit there anymore. Couldn’t sit there and do nothing. 

Dani wasn’t sure how long it took her, however as she got to the bridge she saw the emergency lights reflecting off the surface of the water. There were first responders on the scene. Police kept bystanders back as a boat pulled up to the shore. 

Pushing through the crowd, Dani ran head first into one of the officers on crowd control. Shooting daggers at anyone who dare stand between her and that boat, Dani grabbed both her gun and her badge at the same time. Gil would scold her if he was there but the car hadn’t gotten there yet, not that she could tell anyways. 

Instantly the officer in his blues stepped aside and Dani ran to where the EMTs were. He was there. One of the paramedics was performing CPR as two others hoisted Malcolm back on dry land. 

**“Is…is he…?** ” Her question lingered as the paramedic continued to do chest compressions. He wasn’t breathing. He wasn’t responsive. Bright was soaked, his usually perfect hair across his face and she just wanted to fix it for him. She wanted him to be able to give her that look he always did when she fussed over him. Like he didn’t have a care in the world and she shouldn’t either. But she did. She cared about him. No matter how crazy he was, no matter how many times he put himself and sometimes others in danger. He had no sense of self preservation. And here he was, a paramedic bringing a defibrillator from the truck and preparing it to hopefully shock him back. 

Dani wasn’t sure at what point she got closer or at what point she fought off and threatened one of the paramedics. Next thing she knew she had his hand in hers. It was cold, too cold. Tears finally broke from her eyes, streaming down her face. She didn’t notice it though, too busy looking down at his face. A face usually so full of life. So full of light. No wonder he changed his name to Bright. Now it was dark, cold, the bags under his eyes no longer hidden by that goofy smile of his and the bright blue eyes that always seemed to light up when she was there. 

**“** _Dani….Dani you have to let them work_ **”** Gil caught up, pulling Dani away from Malcolm as the paramedics tried one more time with the defibrillator. The bruises on his ribs were barely healed from the last near death experience. Her throat closed up again as they put him on a stretcher and wheeled him to the ambulance. She wanted to follow, needed to, she couldn’t bear to sit in traffic again, not when she didn’t know if he was okay or not. This wasn’t Dani Powell’s first rodeo with near death experiences with Malcolm Bright and God she hoped this wouldn’t be the last.


	3. The Sigh

_Floating_. He was floating in the water. It was cold enough that everything was numb, or maybe it was something else. He couldn't breathe...or maybe he didn't need to. 

He was _drowning_. 

There was a light. Despite the darkness that surrounded him, there was a light. Bright...brighter than anything he had seen before. He couldn't swim, couldn't move, but he was pulled towards the light like a moth to the flame. 

And then she was there. Hair covering her face, stripped down to her underwear. The girl in the box. She was in the water with him, floating. 

No, they were sinking.

He let out his last breath of air and the bubbles rose and yet he sank. No, she was pulling him down, down deeper into the water. Down to where it was bright. Down to where the light was. 

Was this it? The end? Did he not get the answers he craved? It was far more peaceful than he thought. He didn't go out with a bang but more like he was falling asleep. Slowly sinking towards the light. 

But it burned. Like acid in his throat it burned. He was coughing, gagging, what little breakfast he had that morning came up and everything was bright. And everything hurt. His head was pounding, his throat burned and he was cold. 

Freezing. 

This wasn't the warm dream he felt before. This was reality. No longer numb he could feel everything. He fought against the pain, fought against the hands holding him down. His shirt was ripped open, buttons long gone now. There were sirens, voices, words he couldn't put together and then darkness again. 

This time the darkness came with memories. Glimpses of his childhood, of his father reminding him he loved him, of his mother drinking too much. Ainsley was so young. Flashes of memories filled the darkness until he was alone. And like always the girl was in the box. Only this time she wasn't in a box but in the trunk of the station wagon. 

And then she turned to him, looked at him, and suddenly she was outside of the vehicle. He was pinned against the car, hands shaky, he couldn't breathe. Gasping for breath, Malcolm tried to fight her. 

" **_I'm sorry...Dad? Dad where are you? Dad_ ** **...HELP**!"

Shooting up in the hospital bed, Malcolm look around with wild eyes. Dani and Gil were there. There was pain. 

Groaning, Malcolm leaned back in the hospital bed and looked around. He was tired...exhausted beyond belief. There was the sound of beeping and puffing. A mask on his face to give him oxygen, wires to monitor his heart beat and an iv to fight the pain. 

" **Thank God. Hey kid, how ya feeling?** _"_ Gil was hovering over him, bags under his eyes and worry on his face. Malcolm went to give a tired thumbs up, however it was then that he was able to find where the pain was coming from. A brace was on his wrist and his shoulder hurt like hell. Looking down, Malcolm let out a sigh before licking his lips and nodding. His less dominant hand moved up to remove the mask so he could speak but Dani stopped him. 

" **You need to keep that on. Doctor's orders.** " Her voice was soft but firm at the same time. She looked tired and her eyes were puffy. Had she been crying? A small smile formed on Malcolm's lips as he went against doctor's orders, per usual, and pulled the mask off. 

" **I'm fine**." Was he fine? He was in pain. What had happened? He tried to remember something, anything. Bright blue eyes widened though and he looked towards Dani. He was on the phone with her when he fell. She must have been so worried. 

" **What the hell happened Bright?** " She was angry, but it was more than that. Gil cleared his throat, arms folded across his chest, as if warning Dani to tread in safer waters. Malcolm used his good arm to prop himself up in the hospital bed. It was only for a moment, however, as his head started to spin. The IV must have some pretty strong meds in them for him to actually be able to feel the effects. 

" **I was building a profile, getting in the head of the VIC. I-I lost my balance and I fell.** " It sounded more like a report than an explanation. He failed to mention the hallucination and the thoughts of jumping. They didn't need to worry about him more than they already did. Gil was already giving him a look like he _knew_ there was something more to the story but he let out a sigh. Malcolm wasn’t lying, not really. Granted he was withholding some of the truth but Gil could see in those blue eyes that he wasn’t lying. Was it a sigh of relief? Was he glad he hadn’t jumped. 

“ **You could have died, Bright. You realize that, right? A witness said you looked like you were about to jump.** ” Dani wasn’t quite as convinced as Gil was that Bright wasn’t going to jump. She had seen his near death experiences too often. Had seen as he held a needle to his vein almost daring a serial killer to take him out. Had seen when he held the gun to his head, not even checking to see if it was still loaded. It was as if he _wanted_ to die and this was just another bump in the road. She didn’t want to press the subject, but she couldn’t afford to lose him because they skirted around the issue too much. 

Malcolm was too smart though. Of course he shook his head with a chuff, a smile on his lips that didn’t quite meet his eyes. He was tired, she could see that, too tired to pretend all the way. “ **Dani can you give Bright and me a moment.** ” Gil stopped Dani from pushing further and she cut her eyes his way. They weren’t working right now, he wasn’t her boss right now. But there was no denying the father-son connection between Gil and Malcolm. Maybe he was going to set things straight with Bright. Maybe he was going to get past that forever soft shell that seemed completely impenetrable. 

“ **I’m gonna go get some snacks.** ” She wasn’t going to admit that she was leaving because Gil asked her, she wasn’t going to admit that she was terrified that she couldn’t help Bright no matter what she did. She wasn’t helpless, she wasn’t a child. She could handle things better than this but...Malcolm Bright made her vulnerable in a way she never wanted to feel vulnerable. She had to step away before she pushed too far and Malcolm push her too far out of reach. So she turned on her heels and left the room. 

_Snacks_. She had to go get snacks. That’s why she was leaving. No other reason. 


End file.
